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Amelia Yang
Dr. Amelia Hao Yang '''(Born January 21st, 1979) is an American Politician and Psychiatrist, currently representing Oregon's 5th district, and a former nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Calvin Reed. Dr. Yang is a lifelong member of the Republican Party, and is best known for drafting Articles of Impeachment against President Albert Winston, as well as leading his prosecution in the ensuing conviction trial alongside fellow Representative Anna Rossi. She currently represents Oregon's 5th Congressional District in the House of Representatives. Dr. Yang is also well known for her instrumental role in the passage of the Carbon Tax, also known as the Dudley Tax, and her staunchly Pro-Life credentials and philosophy. She is widely considered to be a "rising star" in the party. Early Life and Education Dr. Yang's parents, Delun and Chao Yang, a fisherman and a performer respectively, fled from the People's Republic of China in search of a better future in the United States. Her parents made the decision after Chao discovered she was pregnant, Delun deciding that Communist China was too harsh and repressive a place for him to raise a daughter, boarding his fishing vessel with Chao and making a dangerous journey across the Atlantic. Yang's mother was a talented concert violinist who who utilized her skills to make additional money for the family, through performing in her husband's start-up restaurant and taking work wherever she could find it. Amelia describes herself as having grown up with "Core Chinese values" imprinted on her from an early age, and has also credited her parents' "American Dream" success story for the development of some of the political philosophy. Following High School, Yang attended the University of California - Berkeley, where she first earned an undergraduate degree in Biology before advancing into the University's medical school and specializing in Psychiatry. Taking on an extraordinarily heavy work load, Yang pushed through medical school and completed coursework allowing her to obtain a Psy.D and MD at roughly the same time, a rare feat that is seldom accomplished. Pre-Political Career Private Practice Following her graduation, Yang started up a private practice in Salem, Oregon, with a college friend of hers, serving the community well and specializing in general adult psychiatry and psychotherapy. Yang & Varner Psychiatric Services quickly became a burgeoning practice due to surprisingly low rates and an emphasis on treating their clients as people, not customers. Yang made it a point to be an active member of the Community, attending social events frequently and becoming an active participant on her neighborhood council and neighborhood watch. 2007 Salem Firebombings On April 17, 2007, Yang's office was the target of Arson, and a sizable portion of the building was torched in the ensuing blaze. Several members of the community rallied behind her following the incident and pushed police to locate the suspect, who went on to commit two additional acts of Arson before being caught in the act. Yang was called as an expert witness in the case by the prosecution, despite objections from the defense, and she testified against the validity of the insanity defense to the satisfaction of the jury, which sentenced the perpetrator to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Post-2008 After her defeat in the 2008 Congressional election, Yang returned to her practice full force and expanded, opening up a second office and becoming a more efficient administrator over the next 4 years. She became widely respected throughout Salem and was even pushed to run for Mayor, though she shot down calls to do so as she contemplated starting a family with her newly-wedded husband. She ultimately decided against such a move and, her election to the House in 2012 has made such a move "unlikely". Political Career Legislative Focus During her time in the House, Yang has championed issues related to mental healthcare, the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, the expansion of the child tax credit, and the introduction of increased regulation on polluting actors. She has proposed legislation calling for compulsory vaccination for children, citing the failure to vaccinate children as a "grave moral and material error". Views on Abortion Yang is often cited as the premier Pro-Life voice in Congress, and was a key House Republican involved in the passage of the Women's Alternative Choices Act. She has equated abortion to murder and has called for the overturn of Roe v. Wade, calling it "One of the Supreme Court's most horrific injustices." Yang has been consistent in her support for free family planning and education for women who are considering abortions, as well as in her belief that Comprehensive Sex-Education is necessary to reduce teenage and "unwanted" pregnancies. She was a keynote speaker at the 2016 March for Life, as well as the 2017 March for Life. The Impeachment of Albert Winston Congresswoman Yang, alongside Indiana Congresswoman Anna Rossi, authored the articles against and spearheaded the impeachment and successful conviction of President Albert Winston following revelations about his violation of federal law and lies told to the American people regarding the administration's actions in the Republic of Turkey. Yang provided the prosecution's opening statement to a live audience of millions across the nation and led the questioning of disgraced former Secretary of State Jay Garestaer. The Dudley Tax Yang was the author of the Rectify Dudley's Disservice Act, also known as the Dudley Tax, legislation proposed by President Calvin Reed that placed a sizable tax on carbon emissions in an effort to combat the oil strike led by Arizona Governor Francis Dudley. She engaged in heated debate on the House floor with members of her own party, including Connecticut Congressman William Brennan, before the measure came to a vote and was passed, ultimately being signed into law by the President on the same day as its proposal. HHS Secretary Nomination and Withdrawal Yang was nominated for the position of Secretary of Health and Human Services for the Reed administration, and the congresswoman initially accepted the offer, but, shortly before her scheduled confirmation hearing, Yang would remove herself from consideration for the role over criticism of the President's pardoning of Edmund Rainden. Yang stated that she was "Unable to serve under the Administration in any capacity", and called the action "unforgivable". Electoral History 2008 Congressional Race In 2008, after months of consideration, Yang announced her intention to run against incumbent Democratic Congresswoman Frida Cochran to represent Oregon's 5th District in the United States House of Representatives. Running as an Independent due to her failure to meet the Republican primary deadline, Yang emphasized bringing change to Washington through reform of the tax code and a focus on the district's children, via education and child care reform. She participated in one public debate with the Republican, Democratic, and Libertarian candidates, from which she received a sizable bump in the polls and an unexpected endorsement from The Statesman Journal. Despite this, Yang garnered 12% of the vote on election day, 2 points below her projected showing, though exit polls would later show that she served as a spoiler candidate, with Republican Dominick Cobb winning the election by 3% thanks to Yang's heavier than expected draw from Cochran's base. '''Oregon's 5th Congressional District Election, 2008 2012 Congressional Race After her defeat, Yang reverted to spending most of her time on her practice, but in 2012, one-term Representative Gregg Patterson was credibly accused of sexual assault, leading to his resignation and, ultimately, Yang's entrance into the race, which she deemed as "necessary". Yang won the primary with 62% of the vote, beating out investment banker Winifred Goldberg and running on a platform of integrity, civil liberties, and economic growth that appealed to many Oregonian republicans. Oregon's 5th Congressional District Republican Primary, 2012 Yang went on to garner 55% of the vote in the General Election against former incumbent Frida Cochran, who was widely perceived as a poor campaigner, and Libertarian performance artist Nate Montgomery. Oregon's 5th Congressional District Election, 2012 2014 Reelection Campaign Yang was reelected in 2014 with 57% of the vote, with former Rose Lodge Mayor Arlen Ridenour running as an Independent after losing the Democratic Primary by 1% of the vote, thus splitting the Democratic vote. 2016 Reelection Campaign Yang was reelected in 2015 with 56% of the vote with Progressive challenger Colonel Ashley Broome earning the second highest number of votes. Personal Life Dr. Yang's practice remains active even as she serves in the U.S. House, and while her client roll has been reduced due to time constraints, she still sees patients on a semi-regular basis. Yang met her husband Emmitt Serrano, a lobbyist and the current United States Secretary of Transportation, in 2008 during her first run for public office. The two began dating in late 2009 and were married on August 12, 2010 in a small ceremony held at Morningside United Methodist Church. The pair has no children. Yang is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and is moderately proficient in Spanish, though she is "learning more every day". She plays the Violin, having picked up the art from her mother. Category:Republican Category:Representative Category:Female Politicians Category:Asian-American Politicians